LETTERS AND REPLIES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11, 11 September 1912, Page 57

LETTERS AND REPLIES.

Beironport. EAlt COUSIN KATE,—May I lieI \ one of your cousins? I ant I ■ eleven years old, and In tlie fifth. (k / standard. lam just recovering ' — * from an attack of pneumonia, SO will you please excuse my writing. We have a lovely beach just a moment’s walk from out house, where in the summer -we have lovely fun swimming and boating all day long. We have not many pets, only a cauarv, which sings sweetly. Did you go to tile Dickens festival? I was -not allowed to go, but I have been reading “Oliver Twist,” and think it very nice.— Cousin DEB VAN.

| Dear Cousin Dei* van, —I am so pleased to enrol you as one of my cousins. You have, indeed', a glorious beach at Cheltenham. I have vO-vn enjoyed a swim there. I think

your writing is very good for ft boy your age. 1 think you are a bit young to read Dirkeus, but if you enjoyed the book, and understand it, that is all right. I hop® you will write again.—Cousin Kate, j 4: 4: 4: “Rleua,” Hobart, Dear Cousin Kate, -1 received your letter and badge with much pleasure. I suppose my other letter has been in the ‘’Graphic” by now. I do not get it weekly, only about once in a mouth, so of course I don’t see. my letter always. 1 would like to tell you about New Norfolk and Geeves* ton. New Norfolk, which is situated 32 miles up the Ki ver Derwent, is a very iprett.v little place. Going up to New Norfolk by steamer the scenery is picturesque. In the summer-time, on arrival at the jetty, charabancs and traps are waiting to convey the people to the different places for lunch, then after lunch they drive out. to the salmon ponds, about nine miles out of the township. The salmon are tame. The township is very small, but there are a few nice buildings. The library and post office are very nice buildings. I have an uncle who Ilves at. New Norfolk, so I usually ftpend my school holidays up there My uncles have two steamers running 'there the Marana ami the Tarnnna. ( chrbMruoil the Marana when I wa« eight years old. It is the Tasmanian native name, and it means War. GoevesLon, which is on the (Hour) *J u °n KI ver, is not as large as New Norfolk. Lt has-numerous Huiber mills. It is

very interesting to sec the men going to work in the locomotive truck to the forest to cut the timber. It is exported to Eng land. In the apple season ait enormous lot of apples are brought up from there by steamers. 1 suppose you already know Giat Tasmania is called appleland, and the Switzerland of the South.—Cousin MOiV A. {Dear Cousin Mona,—l was delighted to hear from you again. Your letter is very interesting. Half the fun is lost not seeing your letter in print. I looked up some back numbers 'and would have sent you one, but had not the one your letter was in. The only part of Tasmania I know is Hobart, and that I thought charming.—Cousin Kate] * * * Stoke. Dear Cousin Kate,—l expect you have forgotten me, as it is a long time Since I wrote to you last. We had our examination bust month, and I am in the first standard now. My age is seven years and four months. I like going to school, as we have •lots of fun playing “I spy” and “King, King Caesar,” and other games. My brother Walter and I are making a garden, and we are going to plant peas, beans, carrots, potatoes, and other thing. A lot of boys and .girls have got the mumps at. our school, and I have got them also. I -was sorry I got them, as I was trying for the attendance prize. 1 had not missed a day up till now, and L had two .miles to walk to school. We have two cats, named Woolly and Mi tty, and two dogs, named C’limo and Trix. It is very cold here, and I am glad when summer comes. My brother is writing this for •me, as I ‘cannot write very well yet.— Cousin GI EBERT. 1 Dear Cousin Gilbert, —-“Better late than never.” I am .always pleased when the cousins don’t quite forget me. lam wondering what sort of a game ‘‘King, King Caesar” is.” I hope the garden will he a great success.—Cousin Kate.] 4* 4? 4 Tangowahine (N. Wairoa). Dear Cousin Kate, —Just a few lines to tell you all about myself and my work. I am thirteen years of age, and am in the fifth standard at school, and my birthday Is on 'the 25 th of December, Christmas Day. I have a long way to go to school. A friend of mine and I ride seven miles to school every morning. The roads are very muddy at present, and we have a muddy ride to school. Of course, it gets a bit stale, the same ride every morning, but we soon get used to it. The ride usually occupies an hour, but as we are fairly furious riders, and ride good horses, we can do It in less. I never see anything of Uncle Mun •and Dot, or any other comic piece.—Cousin WIDDIAM.

(Dear Cousin William, —T am glad you wanted to join our society. Boys are always welcome. We have so few of them, and those we have hardly ever write, such

lazy things they arc. What a delightful day for a birthday. No fear of your people forgetting your birthday. You have indeed a lung ride, but just think if you had to .walfc. Cousin Kale.] 4* 4 4 Palmerston North. ■Dear Cousin Kale, —May I become one of your cousins? 1 have got my sister to ■write this for me, 'because I cannot write, i am only «ix. Would you send me a blue badge? I have only one pet. a little dog just like a fox fur mulT. 1 used to have a ’pony called Dick, but lathe’’ sold him. 1 uni in Napier now. I .have nut been well, so 1 came up here. I always get my sister Joan to read the cousins’ letters to me, and I like them so much. Joan says she is going to write to you next time. I will give you a riddle: What made the penny slump. —Cousin N'GA'IRE. | Dear Cousin Ngaire, I am delighted to enrol you as a new cousin. W hat a funny little dog your pet must be. Why don’t von try and write ft letter with a pencil, ii’erhap's you eMikl .manage that. You must Stave changed your address. I have no cousin Joan on my list from Palmerston North. Send me your full name, and I twill send you a badge. Can’t guess the riddle. Cousin Kate.] 4 4: 4: Oliaupo. (Bear Cousin Kate. Excuse me for not writing before, but I '.have had the toothache for a week. It is very cold and wot tiere at present. My brother has a little

black calf. Will you please give it a name? We are starting sewing for u bazaar. It was my father’s birthday on Wednesday. I went out fur a ride on Saturday, and got •wet through. l>o you get many flowers down There. I can get a lot of violets and snowdrops. Cousin DELCIE. I Dear Cousin .Delete, I am sorry to hear about the toothache. Il is a horrid thing tu» ibe bothered with. You are having flue weather now. Call the calf ’’Snowy.” What is -the bazaar for. Cousin Kate.] 4 4 4 Ron got ea. Dear Cousin Kate, Please will you accept me as one of your cousins? 1 like reading ■the coiLshis* letters very much, I have one ■brother. 1 passed my pronciency exam, at Christmas, and I go to the High School at Feilding now. I am fourteen in October. I planted some violet seeds a few days ago. •Which are your favourite flowers? ‘Mine are the violets and roses, I think. Please will you send me ft blue badge? Here is a riddle fur the cousins: Why do you go to bed?—Cousin WINNIE. [Dear Cousin Winnie, —I am very pleased •to accept you as a new cousin. I think my favourite flowers are roses and carnations. Violets are very sweet. You won’t got any flowers this year. When the leaves grow (big you ought to cut them right down, and then you get better violets. -Cousin Kate ] 4 4 4 Dear Cousin Kate. —The weather is getting much better now. I have a bad foot, and [ am staying away from school. 1 am now* ten years old, for my birthday was last .Inly s.—Cousin DESMOND*. [Dear Cousin Desmond,—You will soon bo able to go and play on the beach and have lots of fun outside. You are getting quite a big chap. I hope your foot will soon be better. -Cousin Kate.] 4 4 4* I’ahiatua. Dear Cousin Kate,— May I become one of your cousins? 1 am nine years old, and I am in the second standard. My favourite game is football. I am a member of the school club. Would you kindy send me a badge, as I would like one for a bookmark? —Cousin JACK. [Dear Cousin Jack, — We are pleased io have new cousins to add to our largo circle. Do you play matches with other clubs, or only between school teams?—Cousin Kate.] 4 4 4 Hawera. Dear Cousin Kate, I was very pleased to see my letter in last week’s “Graphic.”

I wonder if our garden has alteicd murl •duce you t»aw it. If that is souu* years I expect it has. as flowers grow s.» qui« kly ‘here. Our bulbs are a 1-1 coming into blon--80111, as we are having such beautiful weather. Such a dear little black cat has come to live with us. We do not know whr. it belongs >to. My little sister carries it about and calls it her baby, and our other cat, Tiger, is very fond of the black one and plays wit'll it. Do .you Ihink Smut would be a good name for it, as it is so black? —Cousin IIACLLED. [Dear Cousin Rachel.—lt is seven years since I was in Hawera, so 1 would expect to see gve.it dianges. You know it is considered very lucky for a black cat to come <o live with you, I think it is raithcr sweet of tho old cat 1101 to Do jealous. I -think Smut would be rather ft good name. How old is your wee sister? Does she like the kitten .better than her dolte? Cousin Kato. | 4 4 4 Clifton (Sumner). Dear Cousin Kate, 1 feel rather ashamed to write after this lapse of time. My original idea was to enter your competition list, but I And I have not so much thne upon my hands as (formerly. Thank you very much fur sending me tho badge; but I think I shall return it, us I may not bo writing again, and. it Is ft pity to waste it. as It may do for Another child. Hoping I have done the right thing under the circums t a nces.—C ous in IR E*N E. [Dear Cousin Irene,—l am sorry to hear you won’t have time to write, but you need not have bothered to return the badge —Couslu Kate.| 4 4 4 Vukolarata (Kio Kio). Dear Cousin Kate, AVe are having very wet and cold weather just now We had four or five fine days, but the wet weather lias set in again. IMd I say I was in standard IV. in my first letter? If I did, 1 am not. I am in •Standard V. I have one sister and) three brothers. We all vide to school, two on one horse and three on the other. We play basketball at our school. It is a very nice game to play on cold days. My schoolmate and I have to watch the goal. It is very hard to score. We also play fives. Do you ever play it. Cousin Kate? Cousin IMFOEBE.

[Dear Cousin Phoebe, Basketball was not heard of when I was a schoolgirl. [ think it is a fine game, and it keeps you on the go all the time. Do the three boys ride together, or how do you manage? Cousin Kate.]